Shoulder-supported garment



March24, 1936.

H. L. REDMOND SHOULDER SUPPORTED GARMENT Filed Jan. 27, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 17a/vena Hanwz'eL. Redmond 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Mummia? H. L. REDMOND SHOULDER SUPPORTED GARMENT Filed Jan. 27, 1934 www?? March 24, 1936.

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SHOULDER SUPPORTE'D GARMENT Filed Jan. 27, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 il? l March 24, 1936.

H. l.. REQMOND SHOULDER SUPPORTED GARMENT Filed Jan. 27, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 MMA AA I avewr: Haznrzelledmond.,

Patented Mar. 24, 1936 PATENT ol-FICE- lsnovnnnn-sUPron'rEn cAnMEN'r Harriet L., Redmond,` Needham, Mass., assignor to The William Carter Company, Needham vHeights, Mass., a corporation oi' Massachusetts Application January 27, 1934, Serial No. 708,613

4 Claims.

My present invention relates to shoulder-supported garments and more particularly aims to provide improved and simplified constructions for and methods of making such garments, including a novel shoulder and neck portion or closure which is self-adjusting and does not require the use of fastening means such as ties or.

tapes, pins, buttons, snap fasteners, or the like.

In the drawings, illustrating by way of example certain embodiments of myinvention and showing exemplary means for practising'the methods thereof,

Fig. 1 is a front view of `one form of shouldersupported garment, in this instance a shirt, embodying the invention, the garment `being laid out substantially fiat;

Flg. 2.1sa top view of the shoulder and neck portions of the garment of Fig. 1, showing the same as viewed from above substantially in its position asl worn vor as when said portions are positioned atwise;

Fig. 3 is a view corresponding to Fig. 2 but illustrating the position assumed by the parts as when the garment is being put on or removed, either over the head or over the feet of the wearer; I

Fig. 4 is a vertical section through a shoulder portion of the garment, looking outwardly;

Fig. 5 is a-perspective of the upper portion of the garment as worn;

Fig. 6 is a view of the under side of one of the sleeves, the sleeve being raised or extended;

Figs. '7, 8 and 9 showing in successive stages a blank from which the main portions of the garment of Figs. 1 to 6 may be formed;

Fig. 10 illustrates asleeve blank for said garment; and

Fig. 11 is a front view of another form of garment also embodying my invention, namely, an infants so-called band.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 10, the garment there illustrated for the purposes of description is an infants shirt of undershjrt, in connection with 4which the invention is of particular utility. It comprises a main or body portion I2 having front and back sections, formed in this instance f a tubular knitted fabric in which the wales I3 preferably extend vertically, affording greater elasticity in the direction transversely of the garment. .The bottom of the shirt is suitably finished, as by an elastic seaming I4. While I am here illustrating and describing. the invention as vembodied in a childs orfinfants shirt, it will be understood that it is not limited in its use to a particular type of shoulder-supported gar- (Cl. 2-1l1) ment but is also applicable in connection with other forms of garment and in garments formed of materials other than knitted fabric, including both outer and under garments and those having attached lower portions, such as union undergarments, and also in connection with garments which are not permanently closed but may have front or other opening provisions.

At its upper front portion the fabric ofthe garment body is shaped centrally as at I5 to provide the front portion of the neck aperture, and the back upper central portion is correspond.- ingly formed as at I6. The general con-figuration of these neck portions may be variedv as` desired, to afford the various neck styles as preferred, such as the square, the V-shaped or the rounded forms, and the depthl of the openings may be varied. In some. instances they Amay be` the same at both front and back or, as generally preferable, the front portion of the neck aperture may be somewhat lower than at the back, as

illustrated.. Y Y

In accordance with my invention one orboth of the over-shoulder portions or shoulder straps comprised in the neck closurev are .formed of a -plurality of overlapping members, extensions or strap-like elements I1 and lextending respectively from the upper portions of the front and back sections of the main bodyportion I2.

As clearly seen in Figs. 2, 4 and 5, and as also will readily be understood in connection with the illustrations of the fabric blank in Figs. '7 to 9,

the shoulder parts i1 for the garment front are of suiiicient longitudinal extent to pass upwardly over the shoulders and rearwardly or downwardly toward the back. Similarly the shoulder parts I8 associated with the upper-rear portion of the garment are shaped and proportioned to extend upwardly over `the `shoulders and forwardly and downwardly toward the front. 'I'hat is, both the front and the rear shoulder and elements or strap forming members I1 and I8 extend, from the main portions of the garment to which they are attached, upwardly and 'either forwardly or rearwardly, preferably to substantially the same extent, across and beyond the top central crossshoulder line indicated by the dot-and-dash line in Fig. 2 and which corresponds approximately to the top lines across the .shoulders as seen in Fig. 1.

The innei` side portions or edges of the shoulder extensions I 'l and I8 are preferably but notnecessarily inclined or rounded, as indicated at lA l,

shoulder line referred to, to the outer side portion or edge of said parts, at or near the points indicated by the numerals l2| and 22 respectively.

At least the inner edge portions of the shoulder elements l1 and n are left free, being unattached either to each other or otherwise. They are suitably finished along their free portions as by the edge bindings 23 and 24 respectively. The edge bindings 24 for the rear extensions I8 desirably are carried continuously along and about the edge of the rear portion I8 of the neck aperture, merging into each other, while the corresponding edge bindings 23 of the forward extensions I1 are similarly continued and merged together about the edge of the front portion I5 of the neck opening.

Thus it will be seen, particularly with reference to Figs. 2, 3 and 5, that there are continuous formations about the garment neck aperture, from the outer side of one shoulder element to the outer side of the shoulder at the opposite side of the garment. For example, from the point 2| at one side of the garment, there is a continuous line or formation along the inner portion of the strap member I1, continuously around the front of the neck and along the inner free portion of the corresponding strap member I1 at the other side of the garment, and to the outer side of said strap member, at the other point 2|. Similarly for the free portions of the lrear extensions I8 and the rear neck portion I6 there is a continuous fabric formation and structure line from the point 22 at one side vof the garment, along the free portion of the adjacent member I8, around the back of the neck, and along the inner portion of the corresponding member I8 at the other side of the garment, to the other point 22. In the form illustrated the shoulder members I1 which extend from the upper front of the garment underlie the corresponding parts I8 coming from the rear of the garment, see also Fig. 4, but it will be understood that this arrangement may be reversed, and that either the front or the back elements I1 or I8 may be underneath.

'Ihe described neck closure and shoulder construction is applicable to garments of a type having sleeves or to sleeveless garments. The infants shirt of Figs. 1 to 10 is provided with sleeves, each indicated as a whole by the numeral 25, and in connection therewith and with the described neck formation I have devised a novel construction which avoids under-arm seams adjacent the body. For this puIpOse the main portion I2 of the garment is formed with integral under-arm extensions 26, preferably of the generally tapered form seen in Fig. 6 and one-half portion of which is apparent in Fig. 1 and also in connection with the blank, Fig. 8. v

A blank for one of the sleeves is illustrated in Fig. 10. Each such blank has an end portion 21 for attachment to the shoulder portions of the garment across the top of the arms, and with inclined portions 28, one only of which is seen in the doubled form of the blank as in Fig. 10, in which the upper line 21* is a fold line. The two inclined portions 28 of the sleeve blank are respectively attached as by seaming 29 along the corresponding inclined sides 26, 26'* of the under-arm extensions 26. I'he remaining under portion of the sleeves, beginning with the peak of the under-arm extension 28, at a point well away from the body, are seamed together as along the line 38, Fig. 6. The outer ends of the sleeves may be provided with a cui or with any suitable finishing formation such as the elastic seaming 3|.

Referring again to Figs. 1, 2 and 5, the upper inner end portions 21 of the sleeves are secured to the outer side edge portions of the shoulder elements I1 and I8, as indicated by the lines of atlock or other seaming 32, 32 in said gures. From the foregoing description it will be understood that said shoulder members, extensions or strap elements Il and I8 are secured only along their said outer edges, herein by said seam lines 32, and that otherwise, aside from their attachment to the main body portions from which they originate, they remain in free overlapping relation one upon another over the shoulders.

In the normal position of the neck closure, as in Figs. 1, 2 and 5, the garment is closed about the base of the wearers neck, and this entirely with'- out the necessary provision of special fastening means, whether tapes, pins, buttons, or other type. By reason of the described construction there is an inherent automatic tendency for the neck parts to remain in said closing position, and in addition they alsol naturally and automatically tend to hold their desired position across the wearers shoulders, rather than to slip down over the arms as has been the tendency in prior garments of the shoulder-supported type. This is largely due to the described shoulder construction with its diagonally crossing edge lines at the tops of its front and rear portions. By reference to Fig. 2, for example, it will be seen that there is a continuous fabric formation or structural line extending diagonally, say from the outer point 0f attachment 22 for the shoulder element I 8 at one ,side of the garment, diagonally across to the other side of the garment and to the corresponding member I8 at said other garment side. Hence, any down pull or other strain at one side of the garment has a diagonally effective component which is transferred across to a shoulder portion at the other side of the garment and tends to draw the latter inwardly toward the wearers neck. Due to these crossing neck lines and the overlapping shoulder parts and the manner in which the strain is transmitted and distributed from one side to the other, the action is to draw the opposing shoulder and neck portions inwardly toward each other, keeping them up in place.

But despite the closure thus automatically afforded for the neck andshoulder portionsof the garment, the garment neck and upper portion is at all times free for opening to the full extent necessary for putting on or removing the garment either over the head or over the feet of the wearer. The manner of opening is illustrated in Fig. 3 in which it may be assumed that the garment is being slipped down over the infants head or is being brought up about its body. Because of the free arrangement of the inner portions of the overlapping shoulder members, they may be turned or opened to afford an opening having substantially the full width of the distance between the secured outer portions of said members, that is, viewing Figs. 2 and 3, substantially the full width between the seam lines 32. Where the garment is of a knitted fabric as illustrated, and with the knitting wales extending vertically, the degree of opening afforded is still further enhanced by reason of the transverse stretch inherent in the knitted fabric. It will be understood, however, that my invention is not confined to the use of knitted fabric but may be embodied in garments formed of Woven orother material.

One method of forming a. garment embodying the described invention vis illustrated in Figs. 7, 8 and 9, in connection' with a tubular 4fabric blank. As an initial step the tubular fabric is laid out iiatwise as indicated in said figures, the direction of the knitting wales being indicated as at I3. It will be understood that there are two superposed thicknesses of fabric in each blank, and if desired a plurality of similar tubular fabric blanks may be superposed for simultaneous cutting. The blank is cut to provide the front shoulder straps or extensions II, the rear extensions or shoulder straps I8, and the intermediate wedgelike under-arm extensions 26. During such cutting the blank is folded along what corresponds to the front and rear vertical median lines rather than along the side vertical median lines, since the lower portions I5 and I6 of the neck openings are in this instance made of different depths at theA front and the rear. In Fig. 8 the cut-out blank of Fig. 'I is illustrated in its condition as when folded flat along the side median lines. In other words, the fold lines in Fig. 8 are carried around ninety degrees from their position as in Fig. 7. It will be noted in Fig. 8 that the side folds now bisect the under-arm extensions 26 and that the vertical outer side lines of the shoulder parts I1 and I8 are substantially set in from the sides of the blank as a whole; see also Fig. 1 in said connection. Hence, in addition to avoiding the usual under-arm seam, by the provision of the integral under-arm extensions 26, the seams 32 forming thesleeve ends to the shoulder and neck members I 1, I8 are brought inwardly of and away from the juncture of the wearers arms and body, with further avoidance of chafing or binding.

In Fig. 9 I havel illustrated the cut blank as if viewed from the side in Fig. 8, but'somewhat opened up and with the under-arm extension 26 moved downwardly and outwardly in. readiness for attachment of the inclined portions 28 of a sleeve blank.,l The manner in which the front and rear shoulder extensions I1, I8 are subsequently folded down into mutual overlapping relation; preparatory to seaming along their outer portions only is illustrated by the dotted lines.

In Fig. 11 I have shown another embodiment of my invention, in this instance in a sleeveless garment, illustrated as a so-called band for an infant. Parts not otherwise referred to may be understood to be the same as in the preceding figures, and similar' reference numerals are used for corresponding parts, with the addition of a reference letter.l As in the previous gures it will be seen that the front shoulder extensions or straps I'Ia and the correspondingrear portions I8a are disposed'flatwise one upon'the other similarly and are left free of attachment along their inner portions. Along their outer side portions or edges they are seamed together as indicated by the seam lines 33,433 which in this case are continued down about the arm opening as at 84. The shoulder'portions or straps so formed normally lie closely and snugly about the wearers neck, and, by reason of the diagonal distribution of the lines of strain as previously described, they tend to remain in supporting position upon the infants "shoulders, with the avoidance of the annoyance and irritation of slipping shoulder straps. As in the case of the sleeved garment or shirt .of the previous figures, the garment is normally closed in about the wearers neck but nevertheless is free to open at its neck portion, for the pur- 'poses of putting on orremoving the garment, to

the full extent of the distance between the outer edges of the shoulder members.

l is not limited to the particular embodiments or .ported garment which comprises forming a tubuing front and back sections, a 'pair of shoulderouter side edges, and the outer side edges of said garment: as worn and being secured together 3 The garment of Fig. 11 may be made by a simllar method as described in connection with the blank figures, Figs. 7 to 9, but in this instance the under-arm extensions 26 are not used, the blank being cut across between the strap and neck 5 members I1 and. I 6, at their bases, as indicated by the dotted lines in Figs. 7 and 8, to form the bottoms of the arm seyes.

My invention, both as to articles and methods,

l0 means herein shown and described, its scope being pointed out in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. The method of making a shoulder-supl5 lar fabric blank, extending the blank flatwise in folded condition, cutting out one corner portion of the bank to provide front-attached portions of shoulder straps, cutting out the opposite corner portion of the same end lof the blank to provide rear-attached portions of shoulder straps, cutting the central portion of the blank inwardly from the border of said end of the blank and between said corner cut-out portions thereby to form the subsequently outer borders of said 25 shoulder straps, opening the tubular blank and reflattening it after shifting the previous sideedge folds 90- circumferentially of the blank, overlapping the ends of one rear-attached and thethen adjacent front-attached shoulder strap 80 portion, and seaming together said overlapped portions at their then outer sideportions only.

2. An infants band, of tubular knitted fabric, comprising in combination abody portion includstrap-forming elements integral with and ex, tending upwardly from the upper front section and of sufficient length to extend beyond the shoulder line of the wearer and downwardly at the rear, and a corresponding pair of shoulder-l st'rap-forming elements projecting upwardly from the upper back section andof a length to extend across the wearers shoulder line and downwardly at the front, the fabric being cut away between the members of each such pair of elements to provide a neck opening of a depth extending downwardly approximately to the level of the armpits of the wearer, said elements being relatively narrow as compared with the width of the neck opening and of v.substantially uniform' width throughout the major portion of their ex. tent but having their projecting end portions convexly curved from their inner side edges across to their longer and substantially straight 55 elements being set in from the sides of the garment as a whole, the adjacent front and rear elements at each side of the garment being superposed flatwise in the normal condition of the along their outer side portions only.

3. In a shoulder supported garment, in combination with a main `or body element having front and back portions and a neck opening,.op positely disposed shoulder-strap members at the top 'of said front and back portions, at each side of the neck opening, said -members being seamed together along their outer side edges only and normally lying in flatwise overlapping position one on the other, the inner edges of each pali of said members being continued inwardly and merged into the material of the body element bordering the neck opening, so that ldown strains on the garment have components effective transversely of the shouldermembers and tending to 76 retain them in place adjacent the wearers neck, wedge-shaped under-arm extensions at the sides of the body element between the front and back bases of the pairs of shoulder-strap members and extending outwardly beyond the wearers armpits, and sleeve members having similarly shaped cut-out portions at their inner ends, the sides 'of said cut-out portions being seemed to the sides of said under-arm extensions by seams' which diverge outwardly and upwardly and are continuous with the seeming along the outer side edges of the-shoulder-strap members, whereby under-arm and sleeve strains are distributed divergently over the upper side parts of the garment body element and to relatively movable portions of the adjacent pair of overlapped shoulder-strap members.

4. A tubular knitted fabric blank for use in forming a shoulder-supported garment, comprising a main or body element having front and back portions in flatwise superposed relation in the folded or collapsed condition of the blank, said body element having one upper corner portion cut out to provide front-attached portions of shoulder-strap members. and having the opposite upper corner portion cut out to aiord rear-attached portions of shoulder-strap members, and said blank further having its central portion cut out inwardly from the top edge of the blank and between said corner cut-out portions so as to define the subsequent outer side edges of the shoulder-strap members, said tubular blank adapted to be opened out and reilattened after shifting the previous side-edge folds 90 circumferentially of the blank thereby to bring one front-attached shoulder-strap member and one back-attached similar member into fiatwise overlapping paired position for securing together along their then outer side portions.

HARRIET L. REDMOND. 

